Of All the Agents
by QuirkyRandomChika
Summary: Follow the twists and turmoils of S.H.E.I.L.D Agent Arina Zangari as she aids the superhero team The Avengers in their quest to defeat the evil Loki! Features slight Steve Rogers/OC. Please R&R!
1. Chapter 1

Thick muggy clouds of moisture clog around me, making my camouflage shirt damp from a double combination of sweat and rain. My raven colored hair braid is sticking to the back of my neck, and I can swear that my boots are slowly getting pulled by the thick mud I am currently trudging through. All thoughts go to complaining about my situation, and environment. I look around. It was breathtaking, no doubt, and I couldn't care less. No denying it now, I was deep in the jungle, and had lost my objective. _Great way to stall the whole damn mission, dumbass._ The voice deep in my head keeps on with the nugatory comments, making my situation even worse. My legs slowly give in, and I am forced to rest under a large tree. As I catch my breath, I check my weapons.

Grenades? Check.

Small pistol? Check.

Katana? Check.

As I make my way down the list, a loud explosion echoes across the sky. My head snaps up. _Shit. Was that the direction the target was going in? _ I check the compass. Yep, the needle points in the direction of the flames, north is where he ran off to. Screams of frustration bounce off the nearby greenery. I gather my belongings, and turn on the bug in my ear.

" My goddamn targets been blown to smithereens."

_**Hello, Agent Zangari.**_

_Damn. What the hell does he want? _ I run towards the scene, cutting into the tall grass with my blade, not giving a crap what I hit.

_**Careful. Might wipe out an entire species.**_

His comment only fuels my anger further. I stop, and stab my weapon into the nearest solid form.

"Fuck off, Fury."

My ass rests on a nearby rock.

_**I wouldn't use that tone, Agent.**_

His voice is full of stress._ Uh oh. Something didn't go well._ My mind puts together gaps, and I realize that _he_ is the assailant of my target, not an unknown source. _But why the hell would he do that?_

"Tell me Fury, what was so god damn important that called for ending my mission so hastily?!"

_**Why don't you come visit me, and find out?**_

I can practically hear his grin underneath the microphone, causing my lips to growl in frustration. I wander back to the path, and wait for the helicopter to land. I reach for the rope ladder that is dropped. My fingers run through it, almost mesmerizing every nick and cut on its way.

I am hoisted into the chopper by a medium height male. His hairline has been receding lately, leaving his style a normal, boring short-cut. His eyes, however, sparkle with undying youth and eagerness, a trait I envy most of the time.

His arms embrace me eagerly, so I return the gesture.

"Hello Coulson."

"Hey kiddo." I can't help but smile at the use of the name, it being a title by him only since our first encounter. We proceed to exchange stories about our missions, his being completely bizarre; concerning a demigod, Thor, and an impressive foreign armor suit that nearly leveled New Mexico completely. I mention my setback, earning a small, meek, comment. Coulson knows how angry I can get.

"Fury hasn't told me anything…"

The smile that follows is as acid sweet as I can manage.

As the helicopter lands, I notice that we are not on solid ground, in the regular base, but in the middle of the ocean, on the special Helicarrier air/boat. _Yep, something was definitely wrong._ The cheeky-ass grin on my superiors face is identifiable from a distance, sickening and tacky against his stoic appearance of a dark trench coat and eye patch. His skin is also the shade, making him unsatisfyingly 'black as night'. His smile is still plastered on as I step off the air craft, tempting me to slap the color right out of him. He puts an abnormally large hand on the small of my back and leads me inside.

Gray is the traditional color throughout the interior. Gray walls, ceiling, floors, chairs, and grey- faced workers. I scoff in my head. Thank god they didn't put me in that position. We walk past the logo, an eagle, and head into a conference room for privacy. The screen in the front of the area is touch, making me realize how much I missed technology, or civilization, for that matter. A bright flush of red hair sits at the table, and I feel a true grin push into my features. Natasha Romanoff.

"It's great to see you again, Tasha." I choose the nickname our other coworker, Clint Barton, is fond of. It obviously affects her, making the bright face darken. _ Oh yah, something was up. _She rises and hugs me tightly.

"Will someone _please_ tell me what the hell is going on here?"

I look to Natasha, who seems to be forming eligible words.

"Arina, Clint's been compromised."

My eyes stretch wide, and I scour the room, half expecting the dumb-ass archer to pop out. He doesn't.

"Is this some sort of sick joke?" I muse out, half humor, half disbelief.

My director, Nick Fury, takes it upon himself to answer. "No, Agent Zangari, this is very real."

_Shit. How the hell did Clint fucking Barton get compromised? _

"Explain."

He motions for me to sit, and I comply eagerly. His steps to the front of the space are rushed, making my thoughts go to question how much danger this really was. Gloved fingers turn on the screen.

"Last night, at S.H.E.I.L.D headquarters, a mysterious portal opened, and surprisingly, a man emerged from it." His fingers slide to reveal a still taken from a security camera. In the shot, a tall man is leering towards the lens. His face is lean, nose is cut long, and his eyes bevel out a crystal blue gaze that screams danger. The black locks that riddle his face are slicked back and frayed out, making his whole head look greasy and unkempt. His robes were foreign completely to me, as was the large golden scepter in his cold hands. "His name, is Loki. We were first made aware of his existence by Jane Foster during questioning after the incident concerning Asgard. Loki is Thor's brother."

I begin to picture the beings sibling, imagining him with the same alarming appearance.

Fury then closes the photo, and pulls another up. This is one of a small cube, with a vast variety of blues and whites swirling around. "This, ladies, is the Tesseract, an infinite power source of gamma radiation and other worldly energy. Last night, Loki managed to make out of here with it, one of our best assassins, and Dr. Eric Selvig." He closes the file and steps back, seemingly finished.

I bore my eyes into Fury's bald head. "This still doesn't explain everything ,sir. How exactly was Barton willingly leaving with Loki? And where the hell did that Tesseract thingy even come from?"

He glares at me, and moves back to the device, pulling out a file, but not showing what it contained.

"The Tesseract was obtained not far from the frozen body of Steve Rogers, who both of you should recognize as Captain America." He opens the file to reveal an army photo of a scrawny young man with blond hair, which is, poking out of the oversized combat helmet on his head. I mentally laugh, picturing the big, buff being that he was now. Fury closes the file and turns off the screen. "Your other question, Agent Zangari, we don't exactly know the answer to," My lips open to comment, but are cut off by him. "_But_. We do know that he somehow used his staff to brainwash both Barton and Selvig."

I curl my mouth into an 'O', and can hear Coulson sniggering behind me. Natasha suddenly stands, eyes full of purpose and fire. Her voice trembles with its next words.

"And what do you want us to do about it?"

"Easy, Agent Romanoff. It's time to assemble."

I shoot up at his last utter. _He's surely kidding, right?_

"Are _they_ even ready to?" The blocky 'they' hangs in the air, reminding me that I was not part of his plan, that I was still just an agent. _But why did he call you in here, tell you all of this information? _ My sane voice reminds the smaller that it was most likely about Clint, being that I was his friend.

"As ready as they'll ever be. You will be helping with the assembly."

I groan dramatically, and flop down, shushing the small 'Yay!' that emerged in the back of my mind.

"Coulson, brief Romanoff on her mission outside this room."

Natasha exits, leaving me and Fury. He walks and sits across the table, an amused smile (once again) creeping up his face.

"You're just as bad as Stark."

I feel my eyes roll in response as I lean back in my chair, arms crossed over one another. His grin widens, if that's even possible. Tony Stark was notorious in S.H.E.I.L.D for pissing off Fury on numerous occasions, and I applauded him for his work.

"And who must I recruit,_ Oh wise and noble leader?" _ My arms swing dramatically at the last part.

His eyebrow under the patch quirks skyward as he sputters the response.

"That's more like it. And for once, I'm not giving you the short end of the stick. You get Rogers."

I smile big and bold at this. "All this generosity for little ol' me?" My speech mocks a true southern bell.

"Go." He gestures to the door. I bow gingerly, and make my exit.

My feet stop their happy stride soon after leaving. Natasha sits, almost pouting at the round table. My bottom rests next to her.

"Someone isn't happy with their recruit."

"I got Banner. You? " I groan at the last name. Bruce Banner is a brilliant mind at work, but a stray mishap left him literally _green_ with anger. She lifts her head, and I can easily see the sadness etched across her otherwise relaxed face.

"Rogers." I reply, adding a cheesy grin.

"You lucky bitch.." she mutters, the mind within obviously off in distant places. I scooch a bit closer, and put a comforting palm on her shoulder.

" We will find Clint, Natasha."

"Oh, I'm not troubled by that. I'm too worried about planning my funeral in case a certain _green monster_ decides to snap me like a toothpick."

We both laugh, and I note the unsaid thanks in her orbs. An insinuate clearing-of-the-throat cough erupts behind me. My head sways to the source, noticing Coulson standing with an ear splitting smile.

"Ready to go, Agent Zangari?"

"Do I _look_ ready, Coulson?" I gesture to my clothing. My shirt and pants are covered in thick cakes of mud, and my black braid is sprinkled with dirt. I turn, heading for my shower and the hope of clean clothes.


	2. Chapter 2

In a small, abandoned, once time training facility, dismal grunts play out into the crisp, moldy air. Every sound is followed by a _thwack_ . The process speeds up over time, whoever making the noise apparently very troubled. Pedestrians walking by dismiss the disturbance in the otherwise eerily quiet building, some knowing exactly who occupied it, and who the noise belonged to. Steve Rogers. He begins by punching a sand bag, then thoughts reopen in his head, making his throws stronger and faster, making him believe that the memories of his past are able to be hit away. He does realize his error, every time, and delivers a bone shattering blow, completely knocking the bag to the ground, and ruining the chain. He copes by drinking a swallow of water, drying his sweaty forehead , and hanging another in the bad ones place.

As Steve punches the sixth bag in thirty minutes(he usually gets up to twelve in one hour), he hears another sound amongst the normal. His fists stay focused on the bag, but his ears hone in on the disturbance. _ Thunk. Thunk. _He decides that it's boots, combat. The sounds stop. He finishes off the bag, and a voice cuts through the silence that follows.

"Having fun?"

The towel in his eyes obscures his vision, but he does know it is definitely a female voice. He removes the terry, revealing a tall, subtly curvy woman with jet black waves of hair and olive skin. Her eyes are a dark blue. The outfit she dons, however , almost normalizes the unexpected beauty, full of grays and greens that resemble army uniforms.

"Just melting some stress, mam" Her mouth smiles. She moves closer, and puts her hand in suspension.

"Agent Arina Zangari." He shakes it, noting her firm grip.

"Steve Rogers."

His back involuntarily swings back, causing his body to rest on the bench nearby. She sits next to him. His thoughts momentarily hover to the fact that she said 'agent' and he grimaces. He tried to steer clear of those.

"Yah know, when I'm stressed, I drink tea and paint _all_ my troubles away."

"What are you here for?" His tone is sharp and hurtful, and the good mind inside scolds him for the rudeness. He mumbles an apology.

"It's fine. I represent S.H.E.I.L.D." He inhales sharply, recognizing the name. The same people who put him in this hellhole by _awakening _him.

"We need you, sir." She rises, and gives him a manila envelope. He opens it to find pictures and documents, the first being a photo of a man who looked plain creepy. Before he can venture further, she points to it.

"Last night, this man put the world in danger. I'm sure you remember the Avengers Initiative you talked about with Director Fury not long after you awoke. "

"The man with the eye patch?" She laughs at his statement, and nods.

"It is time for it to uh, initiate, so to say, and it can't properly without you. Are you in, Mr. Rogers?"

His form rises, and places a hand on her shoulder, she admires the size.

"Please, Miss Zangari, if we are working together, I'd rather you call me Steve."

"Then I'd rather _you_ call me Arina." They share a smile. She leads him to the roof, where a helicopter is landed, a man in a suit standing by it proudly.

"Fair warning, Steve, things are about to get weird." She whispers to him.

"With all due respect, mam, I think I can handle it."

"An ice cream sundae says other wise."

**Arina POV**

Coulson awaits me and my recruit, knees shaking at the mere sight of Steve. I reminisce on times in which he talked on and on about his obsession with Captian America. He stands silent as we get comfortable, but millions of questions are grinding away in his childlike mind. Then the dam breaks.

"I really admire all the work you've done for this country."

I see his legs buckle as the other being flashes a paparazzi smile. Coulson then proceeds to babble on about his obsession, making Steve visibly uncomfortable. He mentions the new uniform for the superhero, as well as his vintage cards. I chide in, staring down my fellow agent for making it awkward for everyone.

"Where are we headed, Coulson?"

"Uh, Stark Tower. I'm recruiting Tony….."

My lips reveal a smile. Time to congratulate the man for irritating my boss on numerous occasions.

"Can I tag along?"

" 'Fraid not, Arina. Fury wants _both _of you there when everyone uh, 'assembles'."

I growl and cross my arms, feeling like a child after their mother scolds them._ No fair! _Steve suddenly pulls a pen from his coat pocket, and writes on a small napkin. He takes notice to my gaze.

"Reminder for later."

We approach the Helicarrier quickly, and Steve's eagerness to get of the aircraft doesn't surprise me.

Coulson and I hug goodbye, and he decends to retrieve the billionare.

"He means well." I offer.

"I know…Guess I'm still not used to fans." He chuckles, "Even after all these years….."

A certain halo of scarlet hair catches my attention, sending my legs toward the owner. I hug Natasha warmly, happy she survived the recruit. There is a man off in the distance, his dull violet shirt visible from my standpoint.

"Arina, Mr. Rogers, I'd like you to meet Dr. Bruce Banner." He comes a bit closer, yet steps with caution and purpose. Steve whispers behind me.

"That the green guy?" My head shakes slightly. Bruce is now close enough to observe. His hair is a curly mop of silver and brownish black hair, and the gaze staring back is soft and comforting. He appears nervous, pupils darting from object to object. Banner smiles, only adding to an appearance of a weathered soul. His hands are callused and hairy on top.

He speaks with a small tone, barely audible over the loud machinery.

"So what is this, a submarine?"

Natasha answers. "You could call it that."

As if on cue,(I later remind myself that our bugs were on, so Fury must have heard us) clamorous whirs enter the sound waves, as well as the clicks of mechanical mechanisms locking into place. Large turbo fans emerge from within the boat. They slowly start up, making a _very_ loud buffeting. The ship begins to slowly take flight, leaving Steve utterly amazed. We are ushered in by guards to the main control room, where a very proud Nick Fury stands.

"Show off." I seethe through clenched teeth

I feel a tug at my fingers, and see a napkin has been placed there by Steve. My palms turn, revealing a note.

I.O.U,

One ice cream sundae.

-Steve

My beam of happiness is short lived as I glance Bruce's way. _He looks very stressed._ His nails are scratching nervously across skin, and the already stirred milky brown eyes seem to whirl around.

"Impressive, is it not, Dr. Banner?" Fury knows my concerns.

"Yes, um, very." His hands lift to scratch at his neck. "Why am I here, exactly?"

This warrants glares from me and the rest of the group. Banner's eyebrows rise.

"No. _No._ I am not letting the other guy take over."

"And we will make sure he doesn't. You have an ability to track gamma radiation, which the Tesseract lets off. We want you to help-"

"Director Fury! We found him! We found Loki!"

All of us rush to the workers screen, which now contains a small photo of the villian, wearing a suit and scarf.

"He's in Germany, sir."

Fury stands straight, and looks to Steve.

"You're up, Captain."

**DUN DUN DUNNNNNN! Lol. So heres the second chapter! Getting into a nice little flow here, I'll be posting the rest on Mondays and Fridays. School literally just started today, so forgive me if some chapters are a bit late. I do have the story done completely, but I want to take pauses so I can get some reviews…sooo**

**Reviews? Anyone?**

**(crickets chirping..)**

**T_T**


	3. Chapter 3

"I still don't see the point in this,_ Director_."

The speaker, none other than the quick witted Arina Zangari, currently stands barefoot, with arms snug tight against her chest. Her clothing is out of sort, a chocolate brown dress that stops mid-calf, but to those around her, especially one Steve Rogers, a refreshing change from her usual grey S.H.E.I.L.D issued uniform.

"The point is simple. You enter the auction undercover and attempt to point fingers to Loki's location in the building."

Arina groans, a sound that escapes her more often than wanted. After an intense staring contest with Nick Fury, she throws her hands up and admits defeat.

Steve follows her as she exits, now donning his new star spangled uniform and shield

I am escorted out into Germany with Steve, much to my surprise. Fury _made_ me go undercover, making me a blind bat running into a bug zapper that flickers on and off. Sadly though, my bug zapper is a demigod of magic and mischief (according to mythology). What's even worse is my ridiculous appearance, the special uniform being traded in for a simple brown dress that reminds me of tootsie rolls. The long tendrils of my hair have been forced to hang loosely around my shoulders. Hell, even the shoes are uncomfortable!

All I can seem to do is grumble as I enter the large museum, trying painfully to 'blend in' with the rich snotty people here to buy boring artifacts. This proves to be difficult, I also have to keep an eye out for a brainwashed archer and psychotic tall guy.

"I hate this, Tasha. Everyone's so boring!"

_**Remember your objective Arina.**_

The other voice seems to cut off at that. Great. Now I really was all alone.

I allow my head to scan the building, being careful with my movements. There are two floors , and two grand staircases leading up to the top. I turn my head to the right, and catch sight of the target.

He is wearing a nice suit, an elegant emerald scarf hangs with his black trench coat. The staff has been morphed into a mock walking stick. Loki makes his way down the steps.

"He's here."

A smug smile teases his thin lips as he approaches the artifacts, a guard turning slightly before being clunked across the face with the scepter. The crowd gasps, a few women running behind their male companions. Our speaker turns, and Loki snatches him from behind the neck. He steps him to a flat golden table, and flips the man over. Everyone backs away as the victims back hits the cold surface. The demigod glances up, taking an unusual steel object from his coat pocket. He presses an unseen button and sharp legs point out, each emitting the same blue light on his walking stick. In one quick gesture, he plunges the device into one of the speakers eyeballs. The man squirms and screams in agony. Loki smiles wickedly as the crowd runs away.

I choose to follow the flow, stopping near the door to reach for my gun hidden under my dress. My hands are forced up, and I come face to face with the villain._ How'd he get over here so fast?_

"Ah-ah-ah. Wouldn't want to cause a scene, now would we? You surely don't desire the same fate as the archer."

His voice is slick and smooth, yet flitting with danger at the seams. He grabs a fistful of my black locks and jerks, causing me to obtain a serious headache. We enter the streets, everyone is attempting to escape. I glance up at him, and notice his change of clothing. He more resembles the pictures from earlier, other than his large two horned helmet.

Several Loki's appear out of thin air, each cornering the poor civilians. _Fury did say he knew magic.._ The one I am attached to releases my hair, but places the point of the scepter right against my throat.

"Kneel before me. I said…" His strong voice cascades across the air. "KNEEL!"

" Is not this simpler? Is this not your natural state? It's the unspoken truth of humanity that you crave subjugation. The bright lure of freedom diminishes your life's joy in a mad scramble for power. For identity. You were made to be ruled. In the end, you will always kneel."

An elderly man rises, his face full of pride. "Not to men like you."

"There are no men like me." Loki grins, grabs my arms, and pulls me along as he approaches the rebel.

"There are always men like you."

This doesn't even phase the demigod. "Look to your elder people." He grips my arm and prepares his scepter. It fires an eerie blue ray, but is prevented from doing damage by a circular object. I am pulled closer to Loki, as the dust settles.

Captain America.

"Yah know, the last time I was in Germany, I saw a man standing above everybody else, we ended up disagreeing."

Loki growls out. "The solider."

He pulls me so I stand as a human shield, and slams his weapon against my neck once more.

"Loki, let her go."

"To what significance is she to you, Captain? From what I understand, she is nothing more than a civilian, no one you know, no one you care about. You must have taken lives. She is one body amongst all if these. Am I not correct?"

"She is an innocent person. No one is gonna die on my watch."

He pulls the blade into my skin, and I can feel my blood trickle. Steve lunges for my captor, but is cut off when suddenly, a loud speaker, most likely from the plane (now hidden in the black of the night) starts to blast the familiar tune of Shoot to Thrill by ACDC. I can't hide the smile that comes across my face, happy for the distraction, the situation was getting out of hand. I see Iron Man flying in, his suit shiny against the lights of the city. I also notice Loki's momentary vulnerable position, and make my move.

His scepter is the first object I grab, and as he lunges, I duck just in time, and uppercut him easily. He lands against the steps to the museum, and I turn the tables, using his own staff as a warning to move.

"Way to hog all the fun."

I can't narrow down the voice behind me, and choose not to lift my gaze from the god at the other end of the spear. Loki raises his hands, and morphs his clothes into a simpler version of the previous ones.

"You can let go of the scepter, Arina." I allow my eyes to look up to Natasha, she must have exited when my life was threatened.

I release the weapon, and turn, facing a frazzled Captain and no masked Iron Man, revealing Tony Stark. My grimace doesn't go unnoticed.

"So serious." Starks face contorts to mock mine, earning a glare from Steve. I loosen a bit, and decide to mess with the billionaire.

"Thanks for the distraction, Metal Man." I sway away from the two, hearing Tony shout out behind me.

"You're kidding, right? It's _Iron _ Man!"

My loud laughter is his response, since I am now at the drop of the plane.

**Ello all~! **

**It's my third chapter, you guys. A bit early, but I'll be at my friend's house tomorrow, with no internet. :/**

**Ah well. Please read and review you guys, I'm getting butt loads of views, but no reviews! I would love to hear your thoughts on it!**


	4. Chapter 4

The atmosphere inside the airplane is nothing short of the word tense as we head back to the Helicarrier. When I first entered, Natasha instructed me to sit next to our prisoner, so I complied. This, however, didn't go over well with the Captain. After much reassuring, he plopped down across from Loki, not letting the slender man out of his sight. The captive seems amused by this, I can see his gaze maneuver from myself to the man across from him.

Truthfully, I wasn't terrified of the demigod, merely shocked at the brute strength he possessed in battle.

"Rina?"

My head cracks up at that nickname, pissed off Tony was the one using it.

"I would be happy if you refrained from calling me that, Stark."

"Why should I?" I wanted to tell him off, I was on edge, and needed a punching bag badly. Clint had called me that the exact moment he met me.

Natasha senses my struggle, and comments sharply. "Someone else calls her that."

Tony throws his hands up defensively. "Sorr-ee. I'll find something else then….."

A blue ribbon of lightning flings across the once peaceful sky. I notice Loki's sudden rise in heart rate.

"Scared of a little lightning?" He looks boldly from me to the others.

"I'm not overly fond of what follows."

We all give the same, perplexed look and stare blankly into space, pondering what exactly he meant by that. Our questions are answered quickly when the entire back of the plane is ripped away like a piece of notebook paper. The man responsible now stands in the area, visibly scaring the shit out of Loki. He is broad, and seriously built. His attire is odd silver armor, and a river of red flows behind. The being turns sharply, grabs our prisoner around the neck, and jumps out of the hole in the plane.

"Who the fuck was that?" My question seems to be on everyone's mind.

"I think," Tasha calls out , flipping a flashing switch to balance the aircraft, "That was Thor." Ah. That explains a lot.

"Well I don't care what his name is, I hate sharing." Tony pulls back on his metal mask, and steps to the gap.

I scream after him as he descends. "No you idiot! He's a God!" My comment, of course, goes unnoticed, erupting a groan from within.

"Men and their damn libido issues."

_**I heard that!**_

I obstruct his capability quickly by yanking the device from my ear. The plane has now rested completely.

"So what now?" Tasha's blunt comment suspends in the air, and I voice the only thing I can manage.

"Guess we wait…"

My mind then reminds me of the over confident men we are dealing with, and I slap my forehead at the idiocracy. This makes Steve jump, and Natasha smirk.

"God damn it. How much you bet idiot Stark and his over the top ego is beating up Thor, instead of making sure Loki doesn't escape?" The question is aimed at my only other female, but warrants a comment from 'Uncle Sam'.

"An ice cream sundae?"

I sneer, a bit irritated and comic about his offer. "Smart ass. Nat, can you get me down there?"

Her arms blur in motion, making imitation suicide cuts to the throat. "Nope. Nuh-uh. I'm not getting this thing anywhere near a fight between a guy with an indestructible hammer and another who is too big in the jeans to care what he hits."

My whine is irritable. _Great. How the hell was I going to get down there?_

The boisterous sound of my knees popping in sends the skinny legs under me to what is left of the supplies. I rummage through the remnants, and grumble, not finding a parachute.

"We have one under the control panel." Natasha passes me the device.

My hands grip the bag, and I look to the drop.

"I'm going with you."

"I dunno, Cap, you should probably sit this one out. There are two gods down there."

He turns to face Natasha. "There's only one God, m'am, and I don't think he wears things like that." 

Steve attaches the parachute, and beckons me over. I latch my back to his belly.

"Ready?"

"Ready."

Now, I have never, in my life, sky dived, and the current sensation my innards are experiencing certainly doesn't make me want to ever try it again. It closely resembles seeing the light at the end of the tunnel (yes, I have experienced it a time or two), but also mimics the childhood game of closing your eyes and pretending to be shoved off a building, which isn't really a dynamic duo. This doesn't appear to be Steve's first time, and I can feel myself grimace.

The ground comes into view at about two seconds flat, and the death grip I have on the pull causes the black fabric to release a bit too early. I can make out the laughter behind.

"Was this your first time skydiving?" My elbow stabs him violently in the ribs, shutting his mouth for the time being.

We land on the top of a small mountain, easily making the fight visible, even in the onyx night. Steve starts to head down quietly, to put a stop to the pride war.

I pace around, and spot Loki, his form leaning over a ledge beneath mine, seemingly enjoying the show. Not that I can blame him. With footsteps mute, I make my decent.

The demigod rises sharply, and turns, attempting escape. It is short lived as his nose makes contact with the barrel of my pistol.

"Ah-ah-ah." I mock his tone from the incident in Germany. He grins mischievously, and speaks.

"It seems you have surpassing intelligence, miss. I was inducted to believe they had forgotten me."

"That's usually how it goes."

My bottom lowers to rest on a large flat rock, arms motioning for him to do the same. Loki stands in bewilderment.

"Why the sudden certainty?"

I shrug. "Can't do much without the blue stick, and we both know that I'll drop your ass if you try anything funny." After what seems like an eternity, he sits beside me.

A silence drapes over us, and I wander my thoughts around trying to figure the demigod out. Surely he wasn't always like this. His eyes still spark with warmth, a trait I can see in good people, not cold hearted villains. What changed his view on life?

Just as my mouth gets the courage to ask this, a loud _BOOM _echoes in the forest. I groan, and snatch Loki by the arm as my lower half stands. _What the hell have they done now?_

We move hastily down the hill, my firm grip on the prisoner never lessening. The other three approach us. Tony's metal suit has new dents, and Thors wavy surfer blonde mop is disheveled. Steve seems to be untouched.

"Good, now that the boys are done playing, we can move on with the freaking plan." I replace the bug dangling from my neck, and switch it on.

"Bring down the chopper, Nat. I'm done playing babysitter."

**Bahahaha XD love that last line. So yah, chapter four. Getting into the flow of things now. Still lwould like some reviews, people!**


	5. Chapter 5

As we arrive back 'home', Loki is removed, and taken to his prison. The rest of my group makes themselves comfortable at the meeting table, so I join, but choose to stand. They mule over useless drabble, but stop as Bruce enters the room. Tony quickly introduces himself.

"It's good to meet you, Dr. Banner. Your work on anti-electron collisions is unparalleled. And I'm a huge fan of the way you lose control and turn into an enormous green rage monster."

"Nice to meet you too…"

Everyone starts to introduce themselves to Thor as well, and I seemingly blend into the wallpaper, which is perfectly fine by me. My mind wanders off, making me unaware when the blonde approaches.

"And who are you, fair maiden?"

I can feel my cheeks begin to redden, much to my dismay. "Arina Zangari."

"Uh, forgot the 'Agent', I do believe." Stark is butting in, and quickly pisses me off by using the damn label. _But that's what you are, Arina. Nothing more, nothing less._ He begins to offer his hand. I instead cross my arms.

"Tony Stark. You have _quite_ the reputation of pissing off my director on numerous occasions," he rolls his eyes at this. "To which that, I congratulate you on. I've succeeded at a rate that challenges your own." We both laugh, but are cut off by the man in question storming in. He looks at us and holds his head painfully.

"Tell me she hasn't made friends with him, Coulson."

"Too late, sir."

"What's so bad about having me as a buddy?"

Fury doesn't answer, and stands in front of the semicircle table.

"Listen up, everyone." His side is to me, so I take my cue to exit. I walk towards the doors, but the director stops me from exiting.

"And just where are you going, Agent Zangari?" My head turns slightly.

"To my room sir, I'm not a par-"

"We are missing a member, and could use your input. Sit."

My only choice is a chair beside Steve.

"We have a rising suspicion that Loki meant for us to capture him. He is planning something."

Bruce looks up from twiddling his thumbs.

"Makes sense. The guys mind is a bag of cats, you can smell crazy on him."

Thor interjects. "Have care how you speak. Loki made mistakes in Asgard, but he is my brother."

"He killed 80 people in two days." I sense the anger in Natasha's voice.

"He's adopted."

_Adopted? _I don't remember ever hearing about gods simply adopting other children. My question is unable to be asked, however. Everyone else gives their input and tired bickering ensues. Fury looks to me.

"And what do you think, Zangari?"

I pry my seamed lips from one another.

"Personally, I think everyone needs to try and get some rest. We're tired, our ideas aren't valid when the minds all groggy. Plus, Stark over there reeks something fierce, making it much, much worse."

Everyone chuckles, except whom I insulted. He slowly raises his arm, and sniffs. Tony's face bloats up at the smell.

"I'll give yah that one, razor-mouth." His face lights up at the new name, causing a slight groan from me.

"Looks like I got your nickname." Stark walks away, leaving no room for argument.

Everyone else disbands slightly. I feel a hand on my shoulder.

"I'll take that sundae you offered now."

It's Steve, and even though I'm exhausted beyond belief, I can't bring myself to say no to his baby blues.

"Follow me."

I lead him to the faculty kitchen, stocked up with every food imaginable. He sits on a barstool, across from the stainless steel sink.

"What kind of ice cream?"

"Chocolate."

As I scoop the frozen treat into a glass bowl, his eyes follow my every move, making me very uncomfortable. I drizzle chocolate sauce on the mountain of whipped cream, and slide the finished dessert across the countertop.

"Not fixing you one?"

My head sways. "Nah, I think I'll use that I.O.U. for later." I wink at the end of the statement, making the man smirk through his cocoa stained teeth.

My long nimble fingers trace small patterns in the tile, trying to piece together my next question.

"So, what was life like back in the forties?"

Meaning to cause no harm ends up making him clammy. He finishes the bite, and breaths out a haste, general response.

"It was…great."

_Good going dumbass. You just had to bring up the incident, didn't you? _ Truthfully, I had no indication of talking about that in particular. Must still be a sore spot for him.

"Steve, I'm sorry. I know it's difficult-"

"It's fine." His mouth forms a solemn line. "Thanks for the sundae." The Cap exits, leaving almost half of his treat untouched.

The following morning, I awake with a serious craving for caffeine. I indulge with some coffee, and enter the lab, seeking out the only two other interesting beings awake.

"Well, good morning, Miss Razor- Mouth." Tony stands, dressed casually in jeans and a Black Sabbath shirt. His arc reactor glows underneath the fabric.

My noses inhales the air around him. "Took my advice, I see. Good morning, Dr. Banner."

The other being rumbles out a dismissive greeting, and looks back to his computer screen. We sit in agonizing silence.

"Man, you boys sure know how to talk a girls ear off." My comedy doesn't affect, Bruce, but earns a small smile from Stark.

"Blueberry?" He extends the aluminum bag to me. I take the object, and empty half the bag into my palm. I shove all the fruit in my mouth at once, chew a few times, and swallow. The remnants are returned to their irritated owner. Tony makes a notion to comment, but I skillfully cut him off.

"How long have you two been at this?"

"Since four."

"Jesus." I sip my warm beverage gingerly, and am encased in another bough of quite.

"So, what happened?"

Bruce lets his eyes meet mine, making me suddenly aware of his age. _ Must be the oldest one of us, besides Stark._

"The scepter acted up, like it was calling out to something." I look to the weapon in question, now propped up by two stands on either end.

" The Tesseract, most likely." The other man pops another berry in his mouth, and eyes the remains.

"You owe me more blueberries."

I slip my tongue out playfully, and exit, my long wavy hair bouncing at the small of my back with each step.

Natasha is awake now. She nods in my direction, and turns to head off in a mystery location. I move to catch up, but am stopped by a bed headed Steve.

"I want to apologize for my behavior last night. It was rude, and I overreacted." His speech seems planned out and rehearsed.

"It's no big deal, Steve. I should have approached the topic more carefully."

"Still." The man really seems beat up about this, so I hug him to reassure.

"It's okay, really." A tiny smile teases his lips, and he heads off to the lab.

My heels turn back on their quest for my red headed college. I go in the general direction she was , and find myself at the open doors to Loki's chamber. _Uh oh._ I peep my head round the corner to see him with his fist and face agianst the glass. Natasha stands fairly close as well. Their dialogue whitens my knuckles, and makes me grip the side of the doorframe.

"I won't touch Barton, not until I make him kill you. _Slowly_, _intimately,_ in every way he knows you fear, and then he'll wake just long enough to see his good work, and when he screams,_I'll split his skull! This,_ is my bargain, you mewling quim!"

I can recognize the tactics of him, and I'm certain she can as well. _But damn._ Her back faces him now, and a soft quaking in her voice triggers his smile.

"You're a monster."

"Oh, no, you brought him." I snigger at his mistake. Of course, once again the brilliant Black Widow tricks her information from the villain. But that speech still must have hurt her. She turns, revealing no tears, and speaks into her earpiece.

"Loki plans on unleashing the Hulk." She looks at him before turning away. "Thanks."

Natasha stops a little ways after passing me.

"Be careful, Arina." She is crumbling, fast, and practically runs to find a sanctuary for her rare emotions to leak through. I collect my thoughts before entering the room.

**Whoooo! Chapter five is up! I'm almost halfway done you guys, maybe possibly that warrants some more reviews? **


	6. Chapter 6

"Ah we meet again, miss…?"

"Zangari." I give him my name fearlessly, half expecting him to already know it. "You gonna use Barton against me too?"

"I knew not of your relations with him."

Now _this _surprises me. Why hadn't Clint told him about me?

"Good to know." I begin to slowly pace around his cell, and can feel his boring eyes on my back.

"Thor is your brother, right?" Loki nods carefully, unsure of my motives.

"Yes, adoptive." He spews the last word out like a bad disease, and I can feel my eyebrows raise.

"_How _are you adopted, actually? I don't recall any gods in _any _myths being simply 'adopted'." I have angered him with this, and he doesn't speak for a very long time, just sits and watches me.

"It is not to your concern, the matters of my past." I step up to the side of his glass enclosure.

"_Something _made you like this, Loki. You weren't always this evil. I can see it."

"Tell me, Zangari, what do you see? I am a _god. _Nothing changed me, _Agent." _I wince at the dreadful 'a-word', gaining another mischievous smile from the man across the clear wall. "But enough about me. Let's discuss you. It must torch your skin to always be considered the underdog. To always be compared to Romanoff and Barton. You crave recognition, Miss Zangari, but don't receive."

I unwillingly let his words get to me, and an inner war ensues. _He's right Zangari. No one gives a shit about you in S.H.E.I.L.D, time to face the truth. _ It's a struggle to keep a stoic expression plastered on.

"I think our conversation is done." My legs turn me in the opposite direction, but Loki still speaks from behind.

"You cannot run from veracity forever, _Rina_."

My body exits, making sure not to crumble like Romanoff on my way out.

I am led into the lab once again, which now holds everyone. They all turn to look at me, and I notice the frustration in the air. It seems Tony and Steve were in a bicker, thus turning all against each other.

"And just where were you, Zangari?" Fury's words cut me deep, and I can spot Coulson looking sympathetic from the corner of the room.

"Loki's holding cell, sir."

"You weren't authorized."

"I just had a few questions." He was about to blow his top, and I am determined not to be the target.

"Um, if I may." Tony's hand is raised up, awaiting to be called on. Fury nods to him.

"Has anyone else noticed her attachment to him lately?" Leave it to dumbass Stark to make stupid assumptions.

"You're kidding, right Stark? Why would anyone-" I begin to register that _everyone_ was staring accusingly.

"Oh. My. Fucking god! You bastards actually think I'm helping that psycho? I was trying to obtain information about his past, since no one besides Mr. Hammer actually _knows _why the hell he's doing all of this! I'm not helping him!"

Steve decides to input. "Arina, we never said you were-"

"I can't believe you would agree with them, Steve! And here I was, thinking you were the only fucking sane person!"

The steps that lead me out of the hell hole are broken, but get me far enough to a room with glass ceilings and a matching wall. I collapse in the floor, not only from the argument, but my encounter with Loki as well. My head is splitting from all the accusations, going back and forth at each other with ferocity. _You can't even be an agent, let alone part of the initiative!_

Someone needs to help me, fast.

"Ria?"

Coulson. Of course, the man saw me troubled, and steps in to lend a guiding hand, like he always does. The stiff body beneath raises, showing no tears. I'm angry, not sad. His stare mimics a soft blanket being thrown over my shoulders.

Without uttering a single word, this lone man has managed to wipe the frustration away. Other emotions begin to flood, making tears flow like a river down my sweaty cheek.

"I hate it here…." I allow myself to collapse into his arms, and cry on the shoulder of his pressed suit.

"Well, it wouldn't be called 'work' if it was easy, now would it, kiddo?" His comment gives way to my smile. He helps me stand, never releasing the firm grip on my shoulder. He grins his cheesy way, and reassures. My troubles have been lifted, but his next words are something I know I will never forget.

"No one is in your way of leaving, Arina. Only yourself."

"_But," _The new tone of voice he has chosen is sharp, much different from the previous coo. He must be serious. "You have a gift, Ria. You see the best in everyone, even if their a lost cause. That's why you talked to Loki. It's remarkable….."

These words warm me completely, the few remaining troubles forming a puddle at my feet. Coulson exits, leaving me to the view of the endless clouds in the sky.

But suddenly, an unidentified air craft hovers up from seemingly nowhere. A ramp descends slowly, revealing a military style seating arrangement. I can identify a certain archer entering round the corner, his weapon in hand. The bow is pointed at me, so I turn steadfast to get out of the projectile range.

_Crash!_

Glass is flying absolutely everywhere, forcing me to swerve and duck to avoid major injury. Strong arms pull me to safety. They belong to Steve Rogers, now clad in his uniform.

"What the hell just happened?"

"It's Clint." I turn to face the puzzled expressions of Coulson and Fury, the man with the eye patch sweating profusely. With them stands Tony(also with his armor, but masked unsheathed) and Thor. Wait a minute…

"Where's Natasha, or Bruce?" The three men look around, puzzled. "Shit."

The various beings behind the computers begin to panic, reporting disturbances throughout the Helicarrier.

"Sir, we've got an engine down!" Lights flicker slightly overhead, and the plane begins to wobble. Tony approaches the screen.

"I think I can fix it…"Metal whirrs as he turns to Captain, nodding for him to join the mission.

_ROOOAAARR! _

The sound freezes every being in the room, Loki's plan was coming to fruition.

**Oh snap! Here comes the action! Not gonna say much, but prepare for spoilers and extreme emotions in the next chapter! I'm halfway done!**


	7. Chapter 7

**-WARNING! WARNING!-**

**This chapter contains spoilers! Don't flame and say I didn't warn you!**

Leather from my suit swooshes slightly as I maneuver my way through the wrecked Helicarrier. I am idiotically unarmed, but still I press on, eager to find Natasha alive and well. The small 'beep' from the card reader introduces me to a familiar room. In the center, a large glass tank sits, the occupant of the prison leering at my form with unmatched glee. I ignore Loki, and walk to another entrance.

"The true monster has been unleashed."

His cool words tickle my spine unpleasantly. The door opens, so I enter without giving a response.

Utter silence ensues, for the most part, in the new space, but is quickly replaced by metallic clangs of footsteps in a fast pace. Natasha runs past me completely, calling out a demand. "Run!" I shoot off, not focusing on my destination, just trying to escape certain death.

I eventually am forced to rest by a similar entrance to the previous. _Shit, now I'm lost._ My body turns mindlessly in circles, trying to comprehend the maze. I proceed to make a dumb-ass decision.

"Nat?"

A bone shattering cry of rage answers, the nearby walkway being shredded by a big green monster. The beast approaches at an alarming rate, fists galloping like an ape. I back into the door, and he stops to check me out, allowing me to do the same. His biceps appear to be the sizes of buses, making his head rather small. We make eye contact, I notice the soft brown gaze, almost tearful for a millisecond.

"Bruce….." This angers Hulk, so he lunges his fist. My head narrowly escapes the punch, and I high tail it in the other direction, the monster following at close range. He screams once more, rattling my teeth with its force. Hard to believe this is what the meek Doctor became.

Fatigue slowly rears its ugly head, pinning me against a large metallic pipe. The emerald monstrosity puts his face close to my own. The Hulk roars, almost sending me into total epileptic shock.

_So. This is how I die. Beaten to a bloody pulp. _I prepare myself, but an equally loud _bang_ pries my eyes open again. Thor stands in a regal battle pose, his hammer ready for the beast. I scurry away before their fight begins.

My quest for safety leads me outside, to the busted engine. I walk with caution, and silently crack the necks of a few soldiers before assuring my total safety. The noise is unbearable, so I scour for a door back inside. My eyes instead find Captain America fending off some stray men as well. He sees me and begins to step in my direction. We are stopped from joining by the Helicarrier dipping completely to the side. I grip the arch, but Steve falls back, only suspending now from a wire.

"Steve!" I move slowly to get to him, but his shakes of the head stop me.

"No, don't come out here Arina." His neck turns, and he speaks to the bug in his ear.

"What?-Yeah she's here- OH!" He screams to me, "Pull that red lever!" I do, and the Helicarrier steadies. He tells me to go inside.

I enter a slim hallway, leading to Loki's chamber. Once in it, I first notice the lack of a holding unit (thus leaving a mischievous god missing), and second, the crumpled heap on the floor.

As I press onward, however, the mass becomes more and more familiar…..

"Coulson!" Sobs begin to overwhelm me as I drop to him, removing the large 'Destroyer' issued blaster. God, his face was practically _alien_ to me. Gone was the warm gaze, the permanent smile, the man I knew and loved was fading right before my very eyes. Here lay merely a shell of the spectacular being.

"Hey, kiddo….." His voice is labored, I almost feel every sharp intake that follows each word. My hands flurry to his wound, only successfully coating them in his blood. Tears cloud over, robbing my capability to see, so I am forced to fumble for his earpiece. His hands grip my collar desperately, color is diminishing fast from the man's face.

_**Fury! Coulson is down! I repeat, Agent Coulson is down!**_

My fingers unlatch from around the device, and drop to hold his remaining palm.

"Please don't leave me…"The voice that escapes my lips is weak, but all I can muster.

"R-Ria….." His hand enters the pocket of his bloodied coat, retrieving three of his vintage cards.

"G-Give these to Steve, would yah….?"

A strong , serious tone answers him. "No. _You'll_ give them to him, Coulson. You're gonna be okay…." I fumble apart, breaking back into a sad hysteria.

His face attempts to look serious, but only manages a painful grimace, fueling my tears further.

"I-I'm gone….a lost cause…..You'll be fine without me. I-I'm proud of you, Arina.. So. Proud." He gives one last squeeze, then releases, for eternity, lips parting and eyes closing slowly.

"No…"

My mind builds up barriers, a defense mechanism I learned from my past.

The next few minutes tick by like years, Fury comes in, along with other agents. He instructs them to leave.

"Zangari?" That comment smacks me into a wall of depression, sending whimpers tremouring into the melancholy air. He hoists me up, turns my shoulders towards him, and _hugs_ me, the first time I had ever seen him show any emotion.

Nick fury doesn't speak as I force out the last of my able tears onto his trench coat

When I pull myself to a presentable state, I am warmed by the scene at the conference table. Natasha sits, arms on her knees, facing none other than our beloved Clint Barton. She laughs, showing a genuine smile for what seems like decades. _Now it's your turn to frown._

They eventually take notice to me, and stand.

"I missed you, Rina."

I force a small smile and hug him, happy to have my 'brother' back.

He pulls away, looking puzzled and concerned. "Something wrong?"

"Oh, nothing." Sparing his feelings for the time being seems to be the logical way to approach him, Fury would announce it soon.

The rest of the group only consists of Steve, and the two in front of me.

"Where are the others…?"

"Tony left to Stark Tower, Thor was encased in Loki's old prison, and Banner seemingly ran off." The Cap seems off by my attitude, and silently questions me. Fury then enters, his face displaying sadness for the first time.

"Agent Coulson is lost." The other three look up at his words, but I choose to remain with my head bowed. Romanoff and Barton exit, leaving me and Steve alone once again. Tears pour in trickles down my cheeks, slowly leaking at the memory of the life leaving his body.

"Arina?" Our eyes meet, and I whisper.

"I could really use that ice cream sundae now." He nods, and leads me away to the kitchen.

**Hello Again! This go round was really emotional, my first death scene! Please, if it brought tears, or emotions at all, drop me a line in the reviews and tell! Thank you for an amazing run so far!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Ah, here comes the romance :D**

Flakes of ice momentarily numb the fingers of Steve Rogers as he grasp a new container of ice cream. The flavor was his choice, regarding the current state of his companion. Arina Zangari sits on a barstool, hands visibly tremoring from an incident that played out thirty minutes ago, in the very aircraft they stood. Agent Phil Coulson was dead, and that obviously did a number on the otherwise beaming woman.

As he fixes their bowls, his mind flits, wondering how she had buried herself deep in his heart, stirring emotions that were almost forgotten, but still remembered. It was the beginning movements of love, identifiable by memory. But love had hurt him before, and he wasn't quite willing to let it happen again. So, for now, they subside, vowing to return when his head hit the pillow that night.

Arina plays a ghost of a smile as her frozen dessert is passed over. She takes sparing bites, not really concentrating on the flavor, only the comforts it gives.

"You know, I used to eat ice cream with Coulson. He always made the best sundaes….." Her voice diminishes at the agents name, making the blanket of melancholy droop lower into the air.

"You two seemed pretty close…." Her grin is small and solemn, Steve's words must have triggered fond memories. That was good.

"We were…I have a makeshift, messed up family here…." The deep blues of Arinas eyes meet his, at long last, only sending the wedge she owned farther in his core.

"Fury's like a father. He always pushes me to do everything with my best effort…..Clint and Natasha are like close siblings, and Coulson was in ways like a mother…comforting when I needed it, and constantly cheering me on from the sidelines as I practically climbed my way to the top. He had this way of making everything seem easy, though I knew it wasn't." Her mouth encases the spoon dangling from her fingers. The woman swallows, and talks once more, Steve hanging on to every word.

"I come from a bad past, Steve. My parents were killed right before my eyes. The crooks were involved with high up people in the Italian government. S.H.E.I.L.D was eventually dead set on killing them for involvements in explosions throughout the corporations facilities, and Coulson was the one who made sure I did it. It gave me closure, so I focused on leveling myself with Romanoff and Barton…."

Tears slowly cascade down her cheeks, glimmering in the sunlight with hope and reassurance.

"That man did more for me than either one of my parents combined, and all I can do for him is sit and cry like a baby."

Eyes momentarily lighting up with remembrance, she reaches into her pocket, revealing three bloodied cards. Upon closer inspection, Steve notices his own face printed on them.

"He wanted me to give those to you, that's one thing I suppose I can do."

He flashes her a grim smile, and places them in his leather wallet.

The sadness is slowly lifting away, and both bowls now contain a pink soup of sticky goop.

"I'll fix up some more." It's the first time he speaks since the beginning of her story, which is perfectly fine by him. He too, had been in a situation where venation was needed, but didn't have the luxury of human companionship. Instead, he drew his thoughts, only providing momentary relief and thousands of sketchy portraits of lost friends.

"Let me help." Her feet drop to the floor, wobbling slightly as she rounds the counter to the refrigerator, stopping to grab various traditional condiments; chocolate syrup, whipped cream, and countless bags of candy. With an exasperated _clunk_ she sets them all down, and looks to a very amused Steve. They quickly pile on the toppings, and resume their previous positions.

"You know," The man has difficulties speaking through his caramel coated mouth, "You remind me of someone I knew before the incident."

Her mouth quirks playfully, the frozen treats obviously lifting her sprits. "Oh really?" Arina's hand raises to her chin, which she strokes in a mock way of thinking. "Lemme guess….." Her eyes drift to his with new light and happiness. "Red Skull!" The chime of whole hearted laughter rings across the Helicarrier, an off sound for the current atmosphere.

"No, _definitely _not! But Stark, on the other hand…" She swats him playfully, scolding him slightly for the comment. Their chuckles have died down now, but still hang proudly, showing a rare sign of happiness.

"Actually, you remind me of a solider I knew, Peggy Carter. You and her would have gotten along a little _too _well." He contemplates her knowledge of his romance with the woman, but doesn't find any telltale signs in her face.

They finish their desserts, and sit in, for once, warm silence. Steve's eyes wander aimlessly, shooting off to the side to find hers looking at him. His face turns pink, which in turn makes her flash the pearly whites while a little fleck of scarlet covers her petite nose.

"I wanna show you something." She tugs gently, pulling him away from the dirty glasses, and ending their journey at what appears to be her room.

The inside is standard, making him frown unknowingly, which she catches.

"Boring, I know. But this one's got a little surprise in the back." Opening her small closet reveals a red button hidden behind clothing. Arina presses it, making the back of the space slide to reveal a large, cadet green painted room, equipped with art work framed on every wall. He notices soft hums of an unfamiliar tune playing as he steps inside.

_Summer has come and passed , The innocent can never last_

"Welcome to my safe haven."

Each of the paintings hung showcase moves with endless shapes and pigments, displaying her talent and potential. In the corner of one room, a canvas rests against an easel. The shape matches Steve's original Captain America shield. Its halfway finished, but already looks absolutely breathtaking. Millions of blues and reds combine to make out the outline of the colors, staying true to his original selection, but adding an unknown spark, making it uniquely Arina's.

"That was going to be Coulson's birthday present….."The somber gaze returns to her features, and she excuses herself briefly, leaving Steve Rogers to his thoughts, the song now in mid length, cooing out to comfort the lonely feeling rising from his gut.

_As my memory rests _

_But never forgets what I lost_

_Wake me up when September ends_

He traces the two stars visible with reasonably trembling fingers, mesmerized by the emotions the simple painting was unearthing. Memories of his happier times fill his brain with a glance at the blues, almost making tears spill from his eyes. The red's however, trigger recollections of his arch nemesis, and endless bloodshed.

What were they going to do next?

The question springs from his conscious, reminding him of his situation. It is there, in the cloaked studio of a beautiful woman that he is finally able to produce a simple answer; avenging Agent Coulson's death.

He moves quickly, taking time to leave Arina a small note as he goes to recruit the duo of assassins. The ballad plays behind him.

_Here comes the rain again_

_Falling from the stars_

_Drenched in my pain again_

_Becoming who we are…_

**Booyah! Awesome song ref! Super emotional (and short) chapter!**

**As always, reviews are GREATLY appreciated!**


	9. Chapter 9

_Coulson is gone. _This single thought has played many times over in my head, yet still is as fresh as the moment I felt his spirit leave. It approaches me as my somber reflection stares back into the dark gray walls of the lavatory. I was no longer able to hear his calming voice, offhand jokes, or see his reassuring smile ever again. He was dead, sent to an unknown place, his peace not yet achieved.

I had thrown up, and am incredibly shaky as I reenter my sanctuary. It is empty, the only new object being a small slip of paper. On it is familiar handwriting;

Suit Up.

-Steve

His motives are surprisingly clear, take our revenge on Loki and ultimately save the world. Taking on the demigod was going to be very tough, and most likely life threatening, but well worth the cause, the ghostly promise of closure dangling in my grasp.

The doors to my closet are pushed aside; unsheathing an array of gray, blue, and green S.H.E.I.L.D issued uniforms. I select the charcoal, the zipper clicking as it meets my collarbone. I move to my weaponry, taking a dust colored bullet proof vest, as well as a grenade belt and pistol. I somehow manage to wrestle my black curls into a makeshift bun. With feet moving swiftly, I enter the conference room in record time.

There, around the table, sits Natasha, clad in her infamous 'Black Widow' uniform, the small red hourglass belt buckle slightly shimmering. Next to her is Clint, codename 'Hawkeye' clutching his crossbow like a security blanket. Captain America approaches me from the side.

"We are going to New York, to stop Loki once and for all." I nod slowly, and follow the trio to the loading dock.

"And where do you think you're going?"

All of us turn to face an irritated Nick Fury.

"Sir-"Natasha speaks with caution. How much longer was he going to stall us?

"Not you three, _her_." He points an accusing finger in my direction, sending my eyelids to the roof.

"Me?"

"You are not a part of the Avengers Initive, Agent Zangari, and therefore not authorized to leave the Helicarrier without my permission, which I will not give."

"Why the hell not?" Our archer was getting just as pissed as me. _He can't still be mad about the Loki thing, not after everything that's happened!_

"That is not your business, Barton. She is an agent, and my responsibility." Now he was being off. Fury had no problems before sending me blindly out onto the field of battle, unarmed. He was aiming at something, but I couldn't pinpoint it exactly. The voice located inside goes rapid with lewd comments. Making my fist flex in attempt to calm down. _He picks a time like this to worry about me? Fine, I'll show him. _It controls my actions, somehow making me spit out a mistake that I truthfully don't regret.

"Fine then. I quit." My statement makes those around me shocked, but Fury and I maintain eye contact, his good one revealing a slight glimmer to match the small smirk on his face. His footsteps echo as he makes his exit.

I slowly begin to realize that my removal is _exactly_ what the man was hinting at. I question this within, he must have further plans for me; Nick Fury does everything for a reason.

"Arina, you shouldn't have done that." Steve is unsure of how to approach me.

"I made my choice. I want to fight for Coulson. Let's go." They linger, forcing me to lead out of the interior to the loading dock.

While in the air, no plans are uttered, all of us sit and prepare for the unknown.

Flakes of uncertainty flitter in the dreary damp air of New York, the citizens unknowing of their impending doom. We are passed strange looks while patrolling the streets, keeping keen eyes open for anything out of the ordinary, seeing nothing at first. Then, just above the earth friendly building of Tony Stark, a thin, bright blue light cuts through the atmosphere, freezing myself and the trio.

It's a pathway, I figure, leading up to a growing hole in the sky. An iredesant glow blinds us momentarily, the entrance has stopped growing, showcasing a starry black space. I take time to glace around, noting the sudden panic in the pedestrians faces. This was certainly going to be hard. Loud, almost foreign noises fill the void of fright, making way for the dwellers of the other dimension to pass. The aliens themselves are sheer horror, even from a distance.

I am the first to break from the trance, sprinting to the sidewalks.

"Move, get out of here! Go somewhere safe!"

Captain America mocks my actions, the duo of specialized agents holding a firm battle pose, preparing for the attack.

Once my side is clear, I join them, the intruders honing in on us within seconds. A ship drops about twenty land soldiers; they make their way to our circle immediately.

The moves they make are surprisingly basic, but the weapons the beasts carry are a mystery. I take on two, quickly smashing the bone like skulls against one another. We wipe out the mini army all in a matter of two minutes. Then, of course, a larger, bulkier group descends; these fighters seem about half the size of Hulk.

With great difficulty, Natasha and I take down one of them, while Clint and Steve demolish another. We are slowly backed into a tight circle, surrounded by the rest. My eyes scan over and over to find an opening, to no avail.

_Boom!_

Thunder crashes across the city, and the aliens are struck down by a wave of lightning. The man responsible rises from the debris, and rolls his shoulders.

"We must find a way to close the portal." Thor's normally soft tone is now frighteningly serious. Cap nods in response, and turns to face the new array of beings emerging. They are the same size as before, and with the demigod on our side, we blow down two whole ships. Then the real trouble comes out to play.

A large, worm like creature squeezes through the opening. Before reaching our feeble bodies, it is pushed aside by a small metal person, straight into the side of a building. Our bugs crackle, then the voice of Tony Stark chides in.

_**I'll distract 'em. You guys move the battle to somewhere without so many buildings.**_

We all turn heels, making our way to a small bridge located not too far ahead, on the coast of the island. The ever recognizable _pews_, reminiscent of a Star Wars movie, draw my attention to overhead. Shit. The new 'species' had smaller maggots, riding and firing from the air.

As we reach the destination, I am forced to thrust my dagger into the neck of a solider, angering the others. _Anger. Anger! _

"Where the hell is Bruce?"

The rest of the team shrugs, and I turn my attention back to the fight. Barton was firing arrows left and right, Cap was in the process of slugging a warrior, and Black Widow, like me, had guns blazing. The armada is vanquished, leaving us a bit of time to rest while waiting for the next.

"Doctor Banner?"

Steve's voice leads me to the direction of a battered man on a dusty old scooter approaching. His legs wobble slightly as he runs a nervous hand through the dirty mop on his head.

"Things are getting a bit scary around here..."

"I've seen worse." Natasha's stance is stiff, and warning. Clint and I exchange glances.

"Sorry." Bruce's cheeks are swollen, but he appears to be in no pain whatsoever.

"No. It's okay. Scary is good right now."

_**That Banner?**_

She answers dully, scanning for any more monsters.

_**Good. Tell him to Hulk up, cause' I'm bringin' the party to you.**_

The Iron man appears, the massive beast from earlier following. I snip out a blunt comment.

"Party my ass."

Banner looks to each of us, and turns. Steve calls out.

"Right now would be a good time to get angry."

The scientist cocks his head, and smiles. "That's my secret, Cap. I'm always angry."

He turns, muscles growing greener and larger, his face morphs into an expression of permanent rage. The Hulk stands, awaiting the contact of the alien.

When it arrives. He merely punches the thing, sending the rest of the body over his. I am pulled from my amazed trance by Steve, the ground I was just standing on turning to dust. I join the others in the middle, grabbing a grenade from my belt. The damn things wouldn't stop coming. Tony stands beside me, mumbling something about charging his lasers to J.A.R.V.I.S, his computer device.

With the power of seven, the fleet is defeated quick, and Captain leads us to the side to discuss our next move. He turns to Hawkeye, whom is standing next to me.

"Can you get clearer shots on the roof?" Barton nods. "Okay. Arina, go with him." I comply; my new companion turns to the armored being.

"Give us a lift?"

His metal gear whirrs as he nods. Stark moves behind us, and grab our backs.

"Better clench up, you two." The blast knocks the pure wind out of my lungs as we soar to an unharmed, flat top skyscraper. Iron Man leaves in a flash.

"Okay. I'll take this half, you go over there." Barton prepares his bow, and I sprint to the other side. I lay out my weapons.

Another set of riders is unleashed, they scatter about the sky. I grip a grenade; pull the pin, and chuck, blowing up one. The archer behind me pace is faster, more stable, but I manage to kill ten or twelve before hearing a disturbance in my ear.

_**I could use some help down here, guys.**_

On the street below, the Cap is being surrounded, seemingly abandoned by the Black Widow. Clint nods for me to go, so I flee as fast as possible down the side staircase, jumping down on the last platform.

"Hey!" I flail about, getting their attention long enough for Steve to knock them down. As I join him, he places his shield protectively around my body, saving it from the plasma rainfall of a rider's gun. A sick, twisted idea comes to front to kill it.

"Give me a boost." I back up, and run for his angled guard. My legs twist and turn, allowing my dagger wielding hand to stab it.

The creature plummets to the ground, I land gracefully.

The current aliens are spreading out more, so we stride forward. Suddenly, I notice a group of monsters march into a grand building, chock full of pedestrians.

"We need to stop them from entering the museum." Cap and I run after, punching and kicking to the frightened citizens inside.

"Everyone get down and move back!" Steve's voice is threatening, so the innocent do as they're told, leaving an open battlefield for us to strike.

Another armada arrives, outnumbering our abilities. A light flickers on somewhere in my brain. My feet sprint to the upper level, screaming for everyone to exit from underneath. The aliens choose to follow, so I lay my last grenade in the middle of the floor, and dart in the other direction. I jump in perfect time, rolling defensively as the explosion nips at my tail end. I am captured by Steve, who gingerly places me on the floor.

The police arrive to escort the pedestrians safely, and we head back outside, back into Armageddon.

_**Nat, what are you doing?**_

I glance up long enough to see her red halo riding on the smaller worm. Pain soon ensues me, the blade of an unseen alien slicing straight through my shoulder. Damn.


	10. Chapter 10

The screams that ring in my ears are not my own, that I'm certain of. It is a male voice, slurring out what seems to me a name. My name.

"Arina!" I snap out of my drug-like state to find a wet eyed, brow furrowed Steve. He looks between the wound and my wilting face. His arms wrap around my mid section and hoist up, making me sit on a chunk of asphalt, most likely ripped up by one of our own or the aliens.

Peculiarly, no pain emerges. I look down, very relived to only find a clean flesh wound, no internal damage at all.

"I'm f-fine." My legs ache to stand, but perform anyway. He ushers me to the side, and I notice the numerous vermin swarming around us.

"Steve. You need to take care of them before worrying about me." Making my voice sound normal is truly a task that doesn't convince him, but persuades the man enough to survey the threat. He slips off his circular shield, and hands it to me.

"Take it. Protect yourself." Reluctantly, I do so, curling into a small ball, but adjusting my head to survey the battle, ready to pounce if need be. Captain America begins with aerial jumps, confusing the enemy to fire and kill their own. When they catch on, he changes his tactics, seemingly winning.

I notice a loud _swoosh_, the owner of the sound rushing by me with purpose. I begin to worry, and flip on the communication device in my earlobe.

"Stark, where are you going?"

_**J.A.R.V.I.S, limit speaking.**_

White noise follows, and I scream into the small speaker.

"Tony, goddamn it, speak to me!" The noise continues, making me scream with displeasure. My attention is drawn to the slowly weaning form of the 'Star Spangled Man'. The pride in me arises, determined to help, but is chopped down from the overwhelming pain to stand.

Steve is now backed into the ground, only being able to use legs and fists to fend off the aliens. Lumps climb their way up my throat, causing tears to begin at the sight of his abdomen being kicked over and over.

_ROOOOOAAAAR!_

A loud crash is made overhead, as I look up to see a green beast sliding down the building closest to us. He lands with force, and swats away the intruders like flies. Hulk turns to me in his trademark stance, closely resembling a gorilla at the zoo.

We meet eyes, and I am utterly shocked and relived to find the familiar brown gaze of Bruce Banner staring back. Another turn of the head shows Thor, still shining as flawlessly as before the battle. I can hear Hawkeye approaching from behind.

Cap rises slowly, groaning in pain.

"Thanks."

I am turned around softly by Clint, who moves to inspect my injury. With concerned eyes he looks to me.

"Rina, we gotta stop the bleeding." The rest of the men (minus Stark) turn their attention to me. My knees give in, and drop me clumsily on the ground. Barton twists his head, looking for a makeshift bandage. His eyes stop on Thor, and instantaneously the god rips his cape off, and ties it tightly around my upper arm.

We all look to the sky, the portal is diminishing now. Another flash of light flies by, its Iron Man. Atop his armor is a large missile, and his destination? Right into the hole of the other dimension.

It is very near to closing as he enters, using his last ounce of power to throw it at the main ship. A loud explosion ensues, the last of the entrance fading away. My head turns to the ground, tears welling once again. The man could be annoying as hell, but I had in fact grown rather fond of Stark since our first meeting.

"Look!" Steve draws my attention back to the sky, finding Tony plummeting down at the very last second. _Thank God. I need him to help me mess with Fury._

Thor swings his hammer round. "I'll get him." He is beaten to it though, by Banner. He places Iron Man down, his suit now resembles a dinged up metal can. The mask has been ripped off, leaving a bruised face with closed eyes. I drop to his side, and shake.

"C'mon Stark. Wake up, yah dumbass." My comments do not faze him, but do trigger Cap to lower to his other side. A long, bitter, melancholy sadness develops around us.

_RRRAAAARRRGGG!_

Hulk beats his chest with the cry, jolting Tony from slumber. He screams in fright, then the glazed over look in his eyes disappears.

"What the hell…" His head lolls to Steve. "What just happened? Please tell me nobody kissed me."

He faces me, a classic smirk rising on his features reassure me of his state.

"Which I wouldn't mind so much, if it were you by the way." A smile graces my features for what seems like ages, seemingly pushing the pain away for a bit. I reach down and flick his nose playfully. I'm glad he's up to old antics.

"In your dreams Stark."

Tony's face does another 'world famous' contortion, then he turns attention to the Captain, who is forming words.

"We won."

Our victory is painfully celebrated, all of us groaning in a cheering fashion.

"All right yay." Iron Man leans up, and surveys the total destruction surrounding us. "Wow. We made a mess." He is helped up by Steve and Thor. "Hey, have you ever tried schwarma? I have no idea what it is, but I want to try it." Our earpieces buzz with the voice of the missing Avenger.

_**You guys need to get up here.**_

All of us stare blandly, unsure of how to go about travel.

"I can't go far with this arm." More questionable glances answer, then, Steve almost 'clicks' in his brain.

"You got any power left in that suit?" Tony nods 'no' in response, earning a small noise of disproval.

"Look. Why doesn't Hulk carry me, you, and Legolas over here to my tower, and I'll change into a backup. I'll fly back and get her; she looks like she can hold her own." Steve looks to me, obviously worried.

"Do not worry, Captain. I will stay until the man of Iron returns." Thor states, placing a large hand on the other man's bicep. He agrees reluctantly, then hops atop of the green beast with the other two, they literally _trollop_ away.

We are sitting in an awkward silence, both running over the last events. _We did it. Coulson might just be a peace. _I reminisce on his constant comments about my talents over the years, reminding me how special I really was to the balding man.

Tears slide slowly down my cheeks.

"Are you alright, Miss Zangari?" My head shakes slowly as I rub them away, with it, almost all of the surface pain of my friend's death. My lips make a notion to speak, but are not told what to say. _ Loki, you idiot! Ask about Loki!_

My epiphany is as discreet as I can manage, and thankfully goes unnoticed. I'm still not sure how to approach the topic…

"Thor, could I ask you a serious question?"

"Of course."

I take a deep breath in. "How is Loki your brother, exactly?"

"That is a very long story….."

"We have time." My ear buzzes with curse word as the trio ride the beast, Steve grumbling about not getting there fast enough.

"Very well…." Thor cracks his knuckles, then continues.

"Long ago, my father fought our sworn enemies, the frost giants of Joutenhiem. In the after math of the battle, he discovered a small child, and vowed to raise him as his own. Loki was told this after I was banished to Earth." He gazes somberly to the ground. "I know not why my brother reacted so dramatically, but I'm hopeful he will forgive our father." He appears beaten, must have unearthed a sore spot. My good hand twirls comfortingly around his bicep. An unbalance wavers in the air, making me want to seek out the other side of the story.

"He will." I am not so sure if my words are a lie, but attempt to make them as believable I can manage.

"Awh. So touching." Tony had arrived, and now hovers a little ways above us. I give him an 'eat shit' look, but he looks un-phased. Thor helps me up, and I am carried bridal-style by a cheeky billionaire. We ascend slowly, to not make my blood seep out.

"To our honeymoon!" I sarcastically laugh, and clunk him over the head.

The ride to the shining tower is short, full of jokes designed to ease my troubles. I notice the only letter remaining on the building is the A, oddly ironic, considering the name of their group. There was that word again. _Their. _I was no longer part of S.H.E.I.L.D, true, but did I have the right to consider myself equal to them? _No. You have no talents, remember?_ I struggle to keep a level head as I enter.

The scene is expected. Loki lays, unconscious from what seems like a _serious_ beat down by most likely Hulk, Hawkeye and Black Widow immerse in basic conversation, likely recalling favorite moments from our battle. Steve approaches, his mask off, and I can feel the relief wash over him at my appearance. He embraces me carefully. We awkwardly break apart, and I go to sit at Tony's bar, questioning mentally how attached Rogers had become. I am not mentally prepared for all of the feelings that emerge at the thought.

"Okay, so I have peroxide and a towel with chickens on it….." We all turn to glare at the owner of the establishment. He begins to move to me, but is stopped by the entrance of the god of thunder. Thor approaches, and I hold out the blood soaked cloth that once flew behind him. He smiles, and makes notions to speak, but is cut off by Clint.

"He's waking up!" The Avengers scurry, Stark throws the 'first aid' equipment my way. The battered man opens his eyes to all aimed and ready to fight. I rip open the rest of my sleeve, and press the towel, now wet with peroxide, to my gash. Loki props himself up on his elbows and decides to be funny, snarking out a comment that I am forced to cover the reaction to.

"If it's all the same to you." He turns to look at everyone, including me. "I'll have that drink now."

Thor jerks him up, and holds the man while Natasha restrains his hands. Hulk has diminished, leaving an almost naked Banner to run off to change. Cap comes over, and scans my bandages. I flash a reassuring smile. Tony chooses to remind us of something.

"So, schwarma?"

**BUH BUH BUH. SCHWARMA! AND SERIOUS CONVERSATIONS ABOUT LOKI. **

**Also , dear lord. The** **emotions….XD **

**Just wanted to say if yah have any questions, just ask! Its coming to a close you guys!**


	11. Chapter 11

Our appearance at the still standing restaurant is more than a surprise, but the other six orders quickly, leaving me to my choice.

"I'd rather not…"

My arm is numb now, but nausea is setting in quickly, the same time as hunger. Steve orders a small fry, and looks to me, concern etched (what seems like) permanently on his face. He tells me that I need to eat. _Like I didn't already know that. _But still, the man was taking care of me, much like the late Agent Coulson did. I grow warm at the thought, yet can't exactly put The Captain in his position, for reasons yet to be answered.

A quick glance tells me everyone is absolutely exhausted, and happy. I, however, didn't feel the satisfaction as believed. There was something missing, still a stone to turn, and I can't exactly pinpoint it down with swimmy thoughts. Our drinks arrive, Thor getting questionable looks at his choice of coffee. _Thor! _ Of course! I stand a little too quickly, making my legs wobble slightly. The rest of the group looks up.

"I'm going to talk with Loki." There wasn't a scenario where anyone could stop me. That I was certain of. Tony's face gets a disgusted expression.

"What is _up_ with you and him?" My dangerous stare shuts him up quickly; this was something I simply _had_ to do. No if's, and's, or but's. My legs gain a slow stride, but stop to let the trays of food pass by.

"At least take your fries with you." Steve may be reluctant, but I know he can see my determination. I grasp the small basket, and step out into the aftermath, turning to face Loki sitting, chained to the metal bench underneath.

He looks up to me with a thoughtful countenance, perhaps deciding to spit out a lie, to deceive me and get my mind riled up. The expression drops thankfully, so I choose to sit next to him.

"Fry?" I dangle the greasy food inches from his face; Loki looks back at me with an ice cold expression, not impressed with the show.

"Gah, tough crowd." He still stays silent, dissecting every inch of my face with that gaze. My eyes meet his, and we stare at each other for a long amount of time. My mind muses if he would be willing to give out his story, but is quickly silenced by the memory of reluctance and sheer anger he displayed in his holding cell. He tears away, and looks into his own world, lost in most likely countless recollections of his mysterious past, and previous crimes.

"Are you having regrets?" I choose to lower my tone, the man before the 'incident' was coming through, I was determined not to scare him away with my loud mouth.

"Why dwell on the past, I have much to look forward to in my future…." My cold chuckles ease the air up a bit, but I can sense his walls being built around him. _It's now or never..._

"I talked to Thor…" His head jerks up at the mention of his brother. "He told me everything." I am purposely beating around the bush, to try to get the demigod to react.

"To what do you aspire, _Agent_?" Just as expected, Loki was trying to get under my skin, his invisible security enclosure nearing completion, but I had a way to knock it back down.

"Actually, it's just Arina now. I quit." His eyebrows raise high, and the pattern continues.

"Ah. I presumed it was your delusion to-"

"Enough Loki. I came here to talk about you, not me. I did what I had to do. End of story."

He seems, well _frightened_ by my intrusion. Despite the new bit of sympathy, I dig deeper, knowing it will give some form of relief to vent out.

"Your brother told me a story about a king taking an abandoned baby, and raising it as his own. The baby grew up alongside the kings' true son, and when the time came to tell the child, he grew upset and, uh, how did he put it? _Overreacted."_ Surprisingly, my stretching of the truth plays off well, the man beside me was clenching his fists.

"And what else has my brother spoke of?" Loki shoots daggers at me. "Did he mention the inner turmoil the child went through, being neglected by his father, and falsely believing that one day, _he _would get the throne? O-or perhaps the sheer malice in the _kidnappers'_ voice when he spoke the truth?" Tears glimmer around his now red eyes "Is that what he told you?!"

I had done it. Kicked down his barrier, beaten it to a bloody pulp, and my prize? Merely a bruised and battered soul, turned to wrong accidentally by the force of hatred and fear.

As he wipes away his tears, I know I will never be able to fully despise him like everyone else. He had killed Coulson, killed many innocent lives, yet completely understood his mistakes, and was making slow movements to learn from them, unlike any other 'bad guy' I had met before. Only my silence follows, but I still refuse to talk in the mellow atmosphere, lingering with death and sorrow.

"Will that be migrating to S.H.E.I.L.D's directory, Miss Zangari?" His voice has picked up sorrow, saddened likely at the false belief I was getting information for blackmail.

"I told you, I quit. And I think I'll let that side of the story take me to the grave…It's Arina."

A ghost of a genuine smile grazes his features.

Our arrival at headquarters is long anticipated, everyone claps as we enter. I am taken immediately to the infirmary; they tell me I will require stiches. I am stabbed and injected with a serum to help me fall asleep.

Upon awakening, the black of the night greets me, as well as a drooling Steve Rogers. My throat is cleared to wake him from slumber.

"Wake up, Uncle Sam." He stares blindly out, but quickly regains his mind.

"Hey." His voice is hoarse, but still overfills me with soft comfort, a trait that had not happened at the start of this mission.

"Hi. Mind explaining why the hell you're in my room?" The bitchy side of me speaks, and I beat it down as quickly as possible.

"Just wanted to make sure you're okay…. We take Loki back tomorrow."

I nod, a thick air of uncertainty filling to the brim. He stands, and tips his head in a good bye fashion.

Choosing kind words instead of rude, I speak softly out. "Thanks. For being there, yah know?" I for one, am not an expert when showing emotions, but seem to have got my point across.

"No problem." He exits, and I get the vibe he wanted to say much more, but restrained from doing so. But as he leaves, my emotions cry out in distress, surprising me. When had _I _gotten this attached?

My eyes wander around my room (It was literally _my_ room) I glance to the closet, springing an idea from within about what to do next.

**AHHHH. One more chapter you guys! God, this run has been AMAZING. This chapter was indeed one of my favorites, I absolutely love Arina's convo with Loki, very fun to write! Reviews are appreciated!**


	12. Chapter 12

Light rises on a new, shimmering day, almost washing away the pain and suffering of previous incidents. To no surprise, damage has been done, but majority is able to be repaired. However, on individual in New York isn't as lucky. She is still in slumber, painfully and vividly recalling her yesterday. The woman's very early stirring draws the attention of Nick Fury, who has had eyes open throughout the entire night. The tall man stands, and goes to wake the restless sleeper, afraid the other beings on the aircraft would arise.

"Arina." He places a firm grip and shakes, waking her instantly.

"N-Nick?" He is a bit shocked at the use of his actual name, but reminds himself of her extrusion. The woman sits up cautiously, and stares puzzled at his face. "Why are you here?"

"You were restless. Couldn't let you wake the others." Her conscious seems to be starting up; she sees his point of view on the situation. They sit in a damp silence, either not so sure of the reality.

"Coulson is gone." That must have been the source of her tremors. Fury couldn't help but let his heart out to her, she saw the late man as a mentor, often calling him a 'Mister Mom' of sorts. He had perished, and no one could bring him back.

"He wouldn't have wanted you to act like this." Fury is certain of his words, and was too, grieving for the loss on a personal level. She looks to him with red rimmed eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"Coulson would want people to be happy for him, not make themselves sick over it." She turns up to look at the wall, a small sound of discontent arising from her lips. She flashes a bittersweet smile to no one in particular, and speaks.

"He said he was proud of me." Fury didn't know how to respond, so instead moves to her side, and hugs her warmly, getting a stiff bodied response. He wasn't one for sappy things, but comfort was what she needed, so that is what he would give her.

"Everything will work out, kiddo." He exits, leaving her to change for the upcoming events.

Six people gather in a makeshift circle outside FBI headquarters in New York, each eyeing two certain Norse gods making their entrance. One wields a hammer, and appears to be feeling a mixture of relief and anger. The other is chained; a silver muzzle covers his mouth. Thor and Loki stop to receive their traveling companion, a container carrying a small blue cube, then precede, the god of thunder saying his goodbyes.

They make their way down the list, ending with a rather tall, ebony haired woman. She smiles, and makes her way to the imprisoned brother. The others watch on in pure confusion as she hugs him, whispering a small comment that only the two could hear.

"Good luck." Loki never though two words could mean so much. She catches his smile, visible barely through the mouth guard. His brother turns to her, and embraces her as well.

"Thank you." This confuses the rest, but makes complete sense to the trio. Thor then turns, speaking only to the prisoner.

"This shall upset her." The mute man's eyes widen.

The two make their way to the center, grab on the contraption, and slowly disintegrate into the sky, leaving no explanation to whom they were speaking of.

The spiral is broken then, all of the now good friends departing from one another, saying one last word.

The onyx headed woman stops in front of Tony Stark, overly attired in a sharp white suit, and Bruce Banner, casually dressed with a maize button-up.

"So, looks like you're out of a job, Razor-Mouth." She stares blandly back, and shrugs.

"Yeah. I suppose I am." Tony beams at this, making her grunt in annoyance. He sticks out his hand eagerly.

"How would you like to work for Stark Industries?" Arina Zangari snorts loudly, drawing attention to the triad.

"When _hell_ freezes over, Tony. Don't take it personally, but I'm positive you would be dead within the first day. "

They all lark piercingly, the billionaire anticipating that kind of answer. He could see the reluctance to admit her departure from the organization, and would do _everything_ in his power to keep her there. Stark and Zangari embrace warmly, and he moves to enter his sports car, leaving her alone with the other man.

"Doctor Banner, It's been, well, _interesting_." She smiles wide as they bear hug, a comment slipping from the males lips.

"Just call me Bruce, okay?" Arina nods.

She waves full heartedly as they drive away, most likely going to spend millions of dollars on lab equipment and other potentially pointless things.

Zangari turns to see Clint Barton and Natasha Romanoff heading her way.

"I swear to God, Fury kicks you out, I'll shoot an arrow in his ass." Her grin is genuine, amused at the thought.

"Don't do that Clint. It was my call, not his…"They stand, makeshift siblings, almost weeping at the realization of the fact that their family was crumbling apart. "But hey, promise you'll visit as soon as you're able, okay?"

The group hug that follows is bittersweet, each participant holding on a little tighter; Arina knew damn well they _couldn't_ assure that much.

"Looks like someone's waiting for yaaaahhh." Barton's eyebrows wiggle as he practically sings the last word, making the whole statement sound much more provocative than normal. He points to Steve Rogers standing eagerly by his motorcycle, thumbs twiddling nervously. Upon eye contact with her, his face displays pure happiness. Her steps are quick, much to her dismay.

They share the same awkward smirk as she approaches, emotions whirring behind each set of eyes.

"So."

"So…" Arina inwardly grimaces at the familiar tones of teenage romance. They were adults, fully capable of having decent conversations, despite odd butterflies dancing around in their bellies.

"Guess this is goodbye." Rogers tone is dazed, unsure of his decision to wait on her.

"For now." A sheepish beam echoes on both faces. They continue to linger in an amorousness haze, only identifiable by the gleams of admiration in both sets of senses.

Arina's eyes light up suddenly with remembrance, shouting out a joyful comment before running off to the trunk of her rented vehicle. "Wait right here!"

She returns in an instant, now hoisting a bulky, russet cardboard box. "Here"

Steve gently unseals the gift, quite amused at her eagerness. Inside, is the canvas from her sanctuary, the one she claimed to be the late Agent Coulson's birthday present, the only difference being that it was complete. It was utterly breathtaking, the emotions from before returning with one glance over. Yet now, in the white, all he thought of was Arina. Her pure spirit and soul. The clean, crisp atmosphere she created with just an entrance, lifting his worries away effortlessly. She reminded him of a breath of fresh air.

His cheeks form a dusty pink, but his polite side of the brain comments, at long last.

"Arina…I can't take this." His actions are opposite of the words. Fingers do not dare to unlatch from the masterpiece.

"No." Her cool voice startles him. "I want you to have it, Steve." She had noticed his attachment back in the Helicarrier to the piece. Having it near would only make her grieving worse. "Think of it as a way to remember me."

If only she knew how much of a mark she had already made. It was deep, lodged into his heart completely by accident; he doubted it would ever disappear. The sane voice of reason reminds him of the pain and sorrow from the last woman he cared for. But Peggy Carter was dead now, and he _had _managed to almost dissipate that particular scar. Arina was something entirely different, hell, if he spent any more time with the girl; she would completely own the beating organ in his chest.

So, on a whim not so entirely clear, he leans in, placing a chaste kiss on the soft skin of her face. He whispers very softly in her ear while pulling away.

"Thank you." Settling on the spot was a remarkable battle between emotions and logic, just enough to test out this newfound admiration, and show his interest, but not quite ample to receive the answer yet.

On the receiving end of the action, lays a dusty, undiscovered vault being flung open, revealing countless sentiments once believed to be extinct inside. She is only able to grin, showcasing the gears springing to life unknowingly. It wasn't a bad idea, actually, to care about someone more than herself; she had showed it to others, Coulson, Barton, Romanoff, but Steve? He was different. This was something far more than friendship, that kiss had _proved_ this little factoid, for both of them.

They eventually depart, the Captain wrestling with his gift, attempting to lasso it in with bungee cords. Arina turns to her own vehicle, not really surprised to find Nick Fury, arms crossed and brow quirked.

"I'd like to talk to you for a minute."

She mimics his gesture. "Go on." Arina had prepared for this moment, yet pain still bellows deep within at his next words. Thus fueling anger.

"_Fifteen years_ of having you in S.H.E.I.L.D left me with countless 'different calls' in missions leaving me to make stupid, embarrassing explanations. You came with chaos, and it happens all around yo-"

She cuts him off coldly. "Stop, okay. Just _stop_." Her fist flexes in frustration.

"I know _exactly_ where you're going with this, Fury. Play the whole 'discipline' card, and then tell me my gifts? Read my lips. I. Don't. Care. I _do not_ want back in. I'm sick and tired of your bullshit! I only make different calls when I know the target is innocent. Unlike everyone else, I _think_ first, then ask the questions. And though it may be embarrassing to point out those bastards flaws, you damn well know I'm right. So, no, I won't withdraw my comment on quitting, and return. Save your breath."

Zangari is beaming at the end of the powerful speech, but that quickly diminishes as she takes notice to her ex-directors own grin.

"O.K. Then." He glares instead of moving, only adding to her annoyance level. She huffs, and stomps off around him. Her journey is cut off by Fury's sturdy arm, preventing her from going any further. The man's eyebrows raise, and he speaks the words Arina has died to hear for almost four years.

"Welcome to the Avenger's Initive, Agent Zangari."

_Now at midnight all the agents_

_And the superhuman crew_

_Come out and round up everyone_

_That knows more than they do_

**That's all folks! Here's the end of our little story, brought to you the day before Avengers comes out in the U.S.A! ;D Just wanna say THANK YOU for all the wonderful, wonderful feedback, it's got me through some super hard times! :'D Also, there's a nod in there with Thor and Loki to my sisters story, Expect The World (Look it up, it's great! She'll be posting a story with Avengers that is chock full o' Arina!) I'll link it in my profile. I'm just wondering, how many of you readers want to hear more from Arina? I know I'll do deleted scenes (if they're good) with her in a big one-shot, and I am in the workings of making a completely original story featuring all or Avengers buddies! (And maybe some certain X-Men?) I WANT TO HEAR HOW IT WAS YOU GUYS. AND IF YOU WANT MORE.**

**I LOVE YOU ALL MORE THAN YOU'LL EVER KNOW!**


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